Legally compliant conversion and retrofitting

Will my machine still be safe after I’ve converted, retrofitted or expanded it? This is the sort of question machine operating organizations in all sectors must face when repurposing or modernizing their installations to meet the latest state of the art. EUCHNER Safety Services is a dependable partner for any project requiring professional support.

Converting and retrofitting instead of buying

Companies are constantly modifying their production machines to adapt them to new products or functions, for example. What’s more, operating organizations retrofit older, technically obsolete machinery to meet the latest state of the art and greatly extend its useful life. A digital retrofit upgrades installations and machinery with modern sensor and communication technology, equipping them to handle the latest demands in the Industry 4.0 environment. Modernizing machines and installations offers the additional benefits of enhancing production efficiency, reducing downtimes, ensuring compliance with the latest legal requirements, and ultimately, extending the machinery’s service life.

Most conversions are not significant modifications, so why not take the plunge?

Machine operating organizations bear a heavy burden of responsibility for protecting their employees. In Germany, this is governed by the Use of Work Equipment Directive 2009/104/EC and by industrial safety regulations. There is often uncertainty about the effects of machinery modification and modernization projects on the legal requirements. Some operating organizations are even so worried about losing the CE conformity and having to repeat the conformity assessment process for their machinery that they avoid making any modifications at all. However, few know that most conversions and modifications are not “significant modifications” requiring CE recertification. As a rule, modifying, converting or expanding a machine always requires an assessment for “significant modification to machines” using the interpretation document from the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS).

This means that even modifications classified as “not significant” entail obligations for the operating organizations, which must carry out a hazard assessment, determine whether the overall machine corresponds to the state of the art, adapt the documentation in compliance with the Use of Work Equipment Directive, and implement any suitable safety precautions. Construction work could also be required to ensure the machine’s safety.

One-on-one consulting and engineering by EUCHNER Safety Services

EUCHNER Safety Services provides machinery manufacturers and operating organizations with custom consulting and engineering services for everything relating to machinery safety. Our experienced team helps companies implement machinery conversions or modernizations while complying with the law. These experts prepare legally compliant documentation and analyze and assess machinery for “significant modifications” or “assemblies of machinery.” They also conceive, plan and integrate safety solutions, including verification and validation.

Special engineering expertise

As a general contractor, EUCHNER Safety Services offers an all-in-one package for machine operating organizations. The team implements any required construction measures and selects and integrates the best components for the task at hand, no matter the manufacturer. EUCHNER Safety Services’ strength is its wide-ranging engineering expertise. The team comprises design engineers, fitters, installers, and programmers who can cover all disciplines from fluidics to mechanical and electrical engineering, including hardware, safety and standard software. EUCHNER Safety Services also builds control cabinets in house.